Recently, Tiffany invited more than 50 girls from current and past programs to perform original beats before excited family and friends. Each DJ joined her during the GMB Summer Tour that spanned Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Miami and New York.

"We had an influx of girls reaching out to us via social media in those areas and since this was our second GMB Summer Tour presented by Toyota, we made sure to include girls from the previous year in most of the cities as to aide in helping them continue their learning," she says.

One such girl, known as DJ Royal Blue, recalls how inspired she felt with her performance, especially at such a young age.

"Being able to create my own beats so that others can hear it too made me feel powerful and unique," she says. "As a middle schooler, this is life changing!"

While each DJ may take away something different from the experience with GMB, it's the parents that share in the joy of witnessing young girls grow in ways that would make anyone proud.

"After Lauryn (DJ Royal Blue) completed the Atlanta GMB tour, her curiosity peaked and confidence bloomed," says her mother, Lia. "This experience has inspired her to raise money, get her own equipment, and start to deejay in our community for young people."

Future Beats

Tiffany is excited about what lays ahead for Girls Make Beats in 2018-19.

Thanks largely in part to The Guitar Center Music Foundation, GMB is doubling the number of girls it will serve this year.

Additional studio sessions will begin in early November and be held at the SAE Institute in Los Angeles.

Through its partnership with Paramount, GMB has been invited to experience and sit in on the scoring of the new Transformers Bumblebee movie.

GMB plans to tour the iHeartRadio station and the Record Plant Recording Studio to get a firsthand look at what it takes to produce and publish music.

Archer School for Girls

The Archer School for Girls (Archer) is a contemporary girls’ school devoted to educating and empowering girls in grades 6 through 12 for leadership in the 21st century.

The arts at Archer play a key role in developing future female leaders through an integrative framework. Orchestra Director Susan Smith’s music curriculum is designed to introduce students to new genres, challenge them to learn about unfamiliar cultures, and provide a space where they can learn more about themselves.

“Music is important for humanity, for the soul. It is a universal language and it allows us to communicate with each other like no other way does,” said Ms. Smith, who has been at Archer for more than 15 years.

At Archer, any student can take Orchestra and learn how to play a string instrument in an ensemble. Ms. Smith takes on the role of both instructor and mentor for her students.

“It's really amazing when a student has been struggling with something and they finally get it,” she said. “Seeing the delight and joy on their face when they play a grand piece of music and it all comes together is incredible.”

This year, Archer students were able to add new instruments to their collection thanks to a donation of Bellafina violins, violas, and double bass instruments from The Guitar Center Music Foundation.

One Upper School student said she was delighted to have the additional string instruments, which will contribute to the music program’s growth.

"I'm a senior now, and as the orchestra has grown a lot since sixth grade, so has our need for more instruments,” she said. “Thank you for investing in our program; we greatly appreciate your donation!"

We're Keeping Busy

Among other things in past two months, the Foundation has provided 150 units (instruments, equipment and accessories) to 11 music education programs with a value over $42,000. More to come!